On Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi extended his ‘help’ to the central government in formulating the caste survey that it has stated will occur in the upcoming census.
“Telangana can become blueprint in caste census”
After the Centre’s decision to incorporate the caste census in the upcoming national census, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced the vision of the Congress party. Rahul also mentioned that Telangana can become blueprint for the nationwide survey.
During a press conference in Delhi, Rahul stated, “We said this in Parliament that we will make Caste Census happen. We also said that we will break that 50 per-cent cap that was an artificial wall. I don’t know what happened after 11 years that cabinet announced caste census as PM Narendra Modi used to say that there are only four castes.”
Gandhi emphasized his party’s dedication to the census, stating they will guarantee its execution and the removal of the 50% limit on reservations.
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Rahul demands clarity on timing of census
Addressing the issue, he stated that the Congress supports the concept of recognizing only four main caste categories, as indicated by Prime Minister Modi, but called for clarification on the timing of the census.
“Article 15(5) is about reservation in private educational institutions. This law already exists. And we want the NDA government, the BJP government, to start implementing this law. They had delayed the census and previously opposed it. Now they have adopted our vision, and we welcome that,” he said.
Govt announced caste enumeration in next census
On Wednesday, the government declared that the upcoming census will incorporate caste enumeration in a transparent way. The Congress and various opposition parties are calling for a national caste census, turning it into a key electoral topic. Many states, such as Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka, have already performed these surveys.
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The government’s choice arrives before the assembly elections in Bihar, with various parties, including some allies of the BJP, expressing their support for the caste census.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, announcing the decision made by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, stated that the census is the responsibility of the Centre; however, certain states have conducted caste enumeration under the guise of surveys without transparency, leading to societal doubts.
